Joc Pederson doubled home Corey Seager with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Texas Rangers roared back to walk off the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Pederson’s game-winner came off Cleveland reliever Cade Smith (5-5), who entered the ninth with a one-run lead and did not record an out. Wyatt Langford opened the frame with a double, and Seager followed with a game-tying single.
Pederson then pulled the next pitch into the right field corner and Seager raced home from first base to give the Rangers the win, their second in their past three games.
Robert Garcia (2-7) was the beneficiary of Texas’ uprising after recording a strikeout while pitching a perfect ninth inning. Langford and Pederson had two hits each to lead the Rangers’ seven-hit attack.
Cleveland, which has dropped three straight games, also had seven hits.
The Guardians jumped on Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi for three doubles in the first two innings. Two of those came in the second when Carlos Santana and C.J. Kayfus had back-to-back two-base hits, with Santana coming across on Kayfus’ double to stake Cleveland to a 1-0 lead.
Texas pulled even on Rowdy Tellez’s solo home run off Guardians starter Slade Cecconi in the fifth inning. Langford then clubbed a solo shot over the left-center-field fence in the sixth to put the Rangers on top.
The Guardians managed just one run in seven innings against Eovaldi. Hoby Milner replaced Eovaldi to start the eighth and hit David Fry with a pitch to open the frame. Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan both singled, the latter on a bunt, to load the bases.
Phil Maton relieved and struck out pinch hitter Angel Martinez before Jose Ramirez ripped a double to right field to score pinch runner Nolan Jones and Rocchio and give Cleveland the lead and deny Eovaldi a decision.
Before the game, the Rangers announced that outfielder Evan Carter sustained a broken right wrist when hit by a pitch in a loss at Kansas City on Thursday and will be out indefinitely. Texas also played on Friday without second baseman Marcus Semien, who is hobbling with a left foot injury. He was still being evaluated.
–Field Level Media
